Customer Support and Collections Associate

Close Brothers Asset Finance; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Close Brothers Asset Finance is seeking a dedicated professional to support customers in financial difficulty, applying tailored collections strategies within regulatory expectations.

The role emphasizes strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and the ability to analyse customer circumstances to determine appropriate recovery actions, while operating in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills essential.
• Experience in collections/recoveries in lending preferred.
• Able to analyse customer circumstances and determine suitable recovery options.
• Comfort with discussing repayments and debt advice with empathy.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Mitigate losses through early engagement and appropriate collections strategies.
• Communicate with customers via phone, post and email.
• Understand customer circumstances using income/expenditure analysis.
• Explain repayment options and debt-advice sources clearly.
• Identify vulnerable customers and ensure appropriate care.

Skills

Exceptional communication

Interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking

Emotional intelligence

Teamwork

Problem solving

Tools

Alfa Financial Software

Job description

Overall Summary

At Close Brothers we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity and are open to discuss flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life.

Join the Close Brothers Asset Finance (CBAF) team where you will assist our customers in financial difficulty, providing appropriate support and operating within your designated authority. This includes identifying tailored and effective collections and recovery strategies for our customers, whilst maintaining compliance with relevant internal and external regulatory expectations.

You will need to develop a deep understanding of CBAF businesses, products and processes. You'll use your strong interpersonal skills to deliver good customer outcomes ensuring alignment to divisional objectives. An inquisitive nature, strong initiative, problem solving skills and a customer-first approach are key to success in this role.

Responsibilities

Customer

• Mitigate losses to the bank through early engagement with customers in financial difficulty and deployment of appropriate collections and recoveries strategies
• Confidentially and empathetically communicate with customers through channels including telephone, post and email
• Understand customer circumstances through appropriate techniques, including structured questioning and use of income and expenditure analysis
• Provide clear explanations of repayment options and independent sources of debt advice to empower customers to make informed decisions
• Identify and respond to customer vulnerability ensuring an appropriate level of care, seeking additional support where needed.

Policies & Procedures

• Apply the CBAF Collections and Recoveries Standards, and associated procedures, to all customer dealings
• Identify and log customer dissatisfaction in an appropriate and professional manner whilst adhering to complaints/escalation process
• Escalate complex queries or situations that cannot be resolved at first instance
• Identify improvements to enhance customer and/or Bank outcomes
• Ensure that all Governance and Compliance requirements are adhered to and all reporting and reviewing activities required by the Regulatory Bodies are carried out to the standards required

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE:

• Prior experience in collections/recoveries in relation to lending products
• Experience with vulnerable customers
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to assess customer circumstances and identify appropriate strategies, applying judgement and decision making skills
• The ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence, resilience and empathy
• Strong teamwork skills, able to collaborate effectively while maintaining individual workload in a fast paced environment

IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE/CAN:

• Deliver excellent customer service via previous customer facing roles with excellent and professional telephony skills
• Knowledge of collections and recoveries regulatory requirements and industry standards
• Proficiency in Alfa Financial Software

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We recognise that candidates may have specific needs that require adjustments to ensure they have a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities. Candidates who require the job description or application form in an alternative format, or any other adjustments, are encouraged to email us at [e-mail] or request a call back.

About Us

At Close Brothers we support employees to balance their work life priorities and in this role you will be able to enjoy a mixture of hybrid working.

Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250.

To find out more about Close Brothers, please visit our careers page: https://www.closebrothers.com/careers

To find out more about life at Close Brothers: https://www.closebrothers.com/life-close-brothers#374017299-899295541

To find out more about our benefits: https://www.closebrothers.com/employee-benefits

To find out more about our commitment to creating an inclusive environment: Our Responsibility - Diversity and inclusion - Close Brothers Group